36 ‘Gang 04’ members hauled to court

IPOH: A total of 36 individuals from the notorious “Gang 04” crime group, which is believed to be responsible for multiple crimes including murder, have been hauled to the Sessions Court here today to be prosecuted.

The suspects arrived in court at 9am amid heavy security.

They arrived in five police vehicles, including three Black Maria and two trucks from the Perak police contingent headquarters.

They were escorted by a team of police officers from the Special Task Force on Organised Crime.

Police officers were seen setting up road blocks at Jalan Iskandar and Jalan Panglima Bukit Gantang Wahab as early as 8am to allow the convoy to pass through smoothly.

It was reported that more than 100 police officers were involved in crippling the gang, which was also responsible for murdering a businesswoman with the title of ‘Datin Seri’ two years ago.

In the special operation code-named Ops Cantas Silver, police detained 36 people aged between 20 and 60, including a ‘Datuk’ who received his title from a neighbouring country.

Perak police chief Datuk Hasnan Hassan had said 26 of the suspects were detained in Perak, Selangor, Melaka and Johor. He said another 10 were arrested in Pokok Sena, Kedah; Sungai Udang, Melaka; Batu Gajah and Taiping.

He had also said police seized cash, jewellery, property and vehicles worth RM4.54 million.

IPOH: Police believe they have crippled the organised crime group “Gang 04” which was also responsible for murdering a businesswoman with a ‘Datin Seri’ title two years ago.

A total of 36 group leaders aged between 20 and 60, including a ‘Datuk’ who received the title from a neighbouring country, was arrested during a special operation called Ops Cantas Silver on Jan 27.

Perak police chief Datuk Hasnan Hassan said 26 of them were picked up in the state, Selangor, Melaka and Johor, while 10 others were arrested in a special operation while in prisons in Pokok Sena, Kedah; Sungai Udang, Melaka; Batu Gajah and Taiping in Perak.

“The operation was conducted by the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Bukit Aman CID and Inspector General of Police’s Anti-Money Laundering Investigation team.

“The operation was carried out following a series of serious criminal activities including murder, theft, arson and drug trafficking. The group has been active for the last 10 years,” he said in a press conference today.

Last Tuesday, another death was reported after four men armed with parang attacked a lorry driver while he was having dinner with friends in Jeram, Kuala Selangor.

The daily reported that underworld gangs had stayed off the radar for over three years after the police started the massive nationwide crackdowns on organised crimes like extortion, drug dealing and turf wars.

But after the Ops Cantas crackdown slowed last year, gang leaders who had gone into hiding had started to return to their old “shady and lucrative enterprises” that dealt drugs and extorted protection money, theSun reported.

Selangor CID chief Fadzil Ahmat said police were aware of the growing number of cases involving gangs.